Chapter Text
Two Time knelt in the dirt, dagger placed just so in front of him, the Spawn symbol scratched awkwardly into the ground. He whispered his prayers, hoping Spawn was paying attention—hoping for a sign, even if he had no idea what a sign would look like. When he opened his eyes, the forest was different.
He glanced down and froze. A black and purple octopus was wrapped tight around his wrist, staring right at him. His heart stuttered. Had it always been there? He would’ve noticed, right? Unless… unless this was it. A blessing. Spawn had sent him something, even if he didn’t get why. The thought made his skin prickle, half-terrified, half-thrilled. Maybe this was what happened when your prayers actually worked.
He looked down at himself, and his mind scrambled to catch up. His usual black shirt with the silver Spawn symbol, black trousers, and fingerless gloves were gone. Now he had on a blue and black striped singlet with a spiked belt cinched at his waist. His trousers didn’t even match—one leg was fishnet, the other black with scattered light blue stars that almost matched the singlet. The socks pulled up to his knees were striped the same way. Black sneakers, spiked bracelets on his wrists, and fingerless gloves—checkerboard around the wrists, fading to solid black over his hands—completed the look.
He reached up and felt a blue bow tied into his black hair, and noticed a streak of hair dyed black and blue to match the stripes on his clothes. Around his neck, a spiked choker that matched his bracelets pressed against his skin, and just below it, a black rope necklace with a silver Spawn symbol rested cool and real against his chest. Two Time stared, equal parts confused and amazed. If this was a blessing from Spawn, it was the weirdest miracle he’d ever received—but he wasn’t about to question it.
The octopus chose that moment to remind him it existed, slipping off Two Time’s wrist and hauling itself across the ground toward a distant commotion—was that thunder? And voices, too.
He followed, curiosity pulling him along, but stopped dead when he saw shiny metal things—machines?—racing past, each one followed by a crack of thunder so loud it rattled his teeth. Then another went by, and another, and another, the noise blending into a constant roar. The voices were coming from the people rushing alongside the machines—there had to be over a hundred of them!
Two Time stood frozen, only snapping out of it when a woman’s scream cut through the chaos—her eyes locked on his little spawn companion. Without thinking, he darted over, scooped up the octopus, and hid it behind his back. His tail instinctively curled around his leg as the woman kept shouting, hurling curses his way.
Rushing away, Two Time kept his head down, dodging the stares and muttered comments that followed him. He slipped into a dirty alleyway, pressing his back to the wall and clutching the octopus close.
He closed his eyes and whispered, half desperate, “Oh holy Spawn, please, I beg of you—hide me from their eyes, shield me from their anger. I swear I did not mean to bring trouble. Grant your follower a way out, just this once. Please, Spawn, show me your mercy.”
He peeked out of the alley and spotted a café across the street, its neon sign casting a warm glow on the sidewalk. With one last nervous glance over his shoulder, Two Time hurried inside, the bell on the door giving a soft jingle.
Inside, the café was alive with the sounds of conversation and clinking mugs. It felt safer here—almost normal. He slipped into a corner seat, breathing out a shaky sigh, the octopus curling tighter around his wrist. For a moment, he just tried to blend in, catching his breath.
Then he looked up—and locked eyes with someone across the table. Noob was halfway through a sip of coffee, blue eyes wide in shock. He wore an oversized blue jumper and baggy lime-green pants, his blond hair sticking up like he’d just rolled out of bed.
They stared at each other for a long, awkward second, neither one sure what to say first.
T-Two Time?” Noob stammered, eyes flicking down to the Spawn symbol hanging from Two Time’s neck.
“Noob!” Two Time’s face lit up, relief flooding his voice. “Did Spawn bless you too?”
“W-what?” Noob stammered, confusion flickering across his face.
Two Time just beamed, practically glowing with relief. “Oh, it must’ve! You’re here, aren’t you? Bless the Spawn for getting us both out!”
Noob blinked, still trying to process everything. “I… I guess?”
“Did the Spawn bless you with an animal too?” Two Time asked eagerly, holding up his octopus for emphasis and ignoring the wide-eyed stares of customers and staff. In the corner of his eye, he spotted a mother hurriedly pulling her child away from the sea creature.
“W-what?”
“When you woke up, did you get a Spawn Blessed animal too?” The octopus tightened its grip around Two Time’s arm a little more every time he said ‘Spawn’—Probably Spawn encouraging him! Two Time beamed at the thought.
“Yeah, I got a weird cat,” Noob admitted after a second.
Two Time looked around, frowning. “And where does it happen to be?”
Noob rubbed his arm, glancing toward the door. “It left me. Probably off hunting or something.”
“Did you do something to annoy the creature?” Two Time pressed.
“…I screamed at it…” Noob muttered, barely audible, but the cultist heard every word.
Two Time stared at him, scandalized. “Why would you scream at a Spawn Blessed creature?!”
“I was scared! I woke up to it hissing at me,” Noob whined, burying his face in his hands, embarrassment coloring his cheeks.
Two Time’s expression softened, and he reached out awkwardly, patting Noob’s shoulder with his free hand. “Hey, hey, it’s alright. First moments are always confusing. The Spawn blessed creature is probably just as scared as you, you know?” He glanced down at his octopus, who was still wrapped tightly around his arm.
He offered a reassuring, slightly manic grin. “We should find it together. Show it you’re not scary, yeah? The Spawn wouldn’t have sent you a creature you couldn’t handle. It’s a blessing we should be celebrating! Not…hiding in a-Cafee? as the sign outside said.”
“Cafe,” Noob mumbled as he corrected Two Time.
Two Time, either oblivious or just determined, didn’t respond as he tugged Noob out the café door. “Now, Noob, where did you last see your Spawn blessed creature?”
Noob shuffled along, glancing nervously around. “Uh, a few blocks down… at the edge of the forest,” he managed, pointing in the direction he’d woken up with the cat.
“Well, let’s go, dear friend Noob!” Two Time declared with a wide grin. The octopus on his arm squeezed his wrist so tightly it stung for a second, but then loosened its grip—either giving up or just running out of steam.